A plain-language definition for anyone researching aura, what it is, where it comes from, and how practitioners use it.
85 plain-language definitions · Cited sources · Persona-authored
By Crystal Cassandra · Updated August 3, 2026
Crystal Healing Expert
What is aura?
An aura is the energetic field traditionally said to surround the human body. In metaphysical and crystal healing traditions, the aura is layered, colored, and dynamic, and certain crystals are believed to cleanse, strengthen, or protect it.
In metaphysical tradition, the aura is described as an electromagnetic or subtle-energy field extending several inches to several feet around the physical body. Healers like Barbara Brennan describe it as having seven layers, each correlating to a chakra and a level of being, physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. The colors and brightness of the aura are said to shift with mood, health, and intention.
In my practice with crystals, I treat the aura less as a literal anatomical feature and more as a useful symbolic map. Hold a Black Tourmaline at the edges of your personal space and notice whether you feel any settling. Many people find that simply attending to 'aura' through ritual creates a sense of energetic boundary that affects how they move through their day.
Descriptions of aura-like fields appear in ancient Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian iconography, the halos around saints, the prabha mandala around Hindu deities. The modern Western concept of the aura as a layered energetic field was developed in the late 19th and 20th centuries by Theosophical writers and later refined by Barbara Brennan, a former NASA physicist who turned to energy healing.
Many crystal healing practitioners work with the aura by passing a stone slowly around the body at a few inches' distance, a practice called aura combing. Black Tourmaline and Selenite are the two most commonly named aura-cleansing stones in tradition.
Other approaches include wearing protective crystals as jewelry, placing stones in the home to influence the surrounding field, or using a crystal grid for intentional aura work. In my practice, I have found that the ritual matters more than the technique, consistent attention to your energetic boundary tends to produce noticeable results over weeks, not minutes.
These glossary terms are closely connected to aura:
In tradition, the ability to perceive auras is considered a developed sensitivity rather than a universal capacity. Most healing practitioners report sensing the aura through other senses, touch, intuition, temperature, rather than literal sight.
Traditional readings associate red with vitality, orange with creativity, yellow with intellect, green with healing, blue with communication, indigo with intuition, and violet with spirituality, roughly paralleling the seven chakras.
Common metaphysical practices include passing a Selenite wand or smoke from sage or palo santo around the body, immersing in salt water, spending time in nature, or [cleansing rituals](/crystal-cleansing) with crystals.
In metaphysical tradition, the aura is considered resilient and self-restoring. What practitioners often describe as 'damage' is more accurately temporary depletion from stress, which rest and intentional practice address.
Share Your Result
Vertical 9:16 format, perfect for Instagram Stories or TikTok. Opens in a new tab; long-press or right-click to save.
Free: how to choose a stone when everything looks appealing, the care matrix that tells you what is safe in water and what is not, and a first intention practice you can actually keep.
We respect your inbox. Unsubscribe anytime.